a certain
idiom
1
—used to refer to a quality that is noticed but that is difficult to explain or describe
She has a certain elegance about her.
The house has a certain charm.
2
formal
—used with the name of a person one does not know
In 1889, a certain Mr. Kelly made a large donation to the church.
Examples of a certain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And all of that offers a certain salvation, a shelter of sorts from the unjustly brief and linear time we are given.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Wealthy individuals have been pouring into alternative assets in recent years, thanks in part to the explosion of evergreen funds, a certain type of fund specifically structured to allow for more liquidity.
—Leslie Picker, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Each one notes that the final product meets a certain requirement for organic fibers, no matter the mattress type.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2025
Overrides ask to increase a district's budget by a certain percentage for seven years.
—Stephanie Innes, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a certain
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Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Wealthy individuals have been pouring into alternative assets in recent years, thanks in part to the explosion of evergreen funds, a certain type of fund specifically structured to allow for more liquidity.
—Leslie Picker, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Each one notes that the final product meets a certain requirement for organic fibers, no matter the mattress type.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2025
Overrides ask to increase a district's budget by a certain percentage for seven years.
—Stephanie Innes, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a certain
Cite this Entry
“A certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20certain. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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